Iberdrola Question

The standing charges. You will pay for the cost of power delivery and, depending on the amount of power you are contracted for, per Kw.

For example, we have 5.75kw of power which is charged at 8 cents per kw during peak hours and 0.04 cents in off peak hours. So the standing charge for us is €15.38 per month regardless of using any electricity. Then there's the rental for the meter which is 77 cents for the month and, of course, they charge tax on top of that. Therefore our bill would be around 16 euro something without using any electricity.

Off peak times will vary depending on your contract. There is the one where you pay a lower, fixed tariff for the whole day. Another where you pay a reduced amount from midnight to noon and another (which we are on) where you pick any 8 hours in a day where you pay lower.#

Our electric charges in those 8 hours is 8 cents and other hours are 19 cents. 

The more power you are contracted for, the higher the standing charge.

In addition to the very helpful post above. Just check that you haven’t opted in for any insurance, costs approximately €6 a month. It’s not easy to spot on the bill until you’re looking for it.

Thank you so much to everybody for your replies. Now I know what I'm looking for I can hopefully understand the bill better.

Very true.

You can save a couple of Euros monthly by removing 

What would the insurance be for?

Iberdrola have emailed me back regarding off peak times so I know now when to put the washing on. As regards insurance I found it on the bill as Payment Protection Insurance. Although they charged me €2.11 they then refunded that amount. Not quite sure what it is for. Sounds a bit like the PPI scandal back in the UK. 

Payment Protection Insurance - If you can't pay your bill because of unemployment, temporary disability, hospitalisation etc. €1.95 a month or €3.95 a month if you are self employed (both plus IVA).

They also include household appliance protection for €6.95 a month (€8.27 including IVA) so make sure that's not on there as well as your goods should be protected under you household insurance which means you'll be paying twice.

Yes Standing charges are quite expensive (almost as greedy as UK!).....one thing I would advise is check what tarriff you're on.....took me an expensive 1st year to realise I was on a 'tourist tarriff) so requested an immediate change to a night plan.....cheaper electricity after 16.00 every day!

Yes, the Iberdrola site gives you options for tariffs but I don't know which one you are with as the Iberdrola night plan is only cheap from midnight to noon. 1600 to 2000 on the free tariff is the most expensive part of the day. 

We have the 8 hour plan and pick 0800 to 1100 (when the washing machine, dishwasher, water heater etc) are on, then 1700 to 2000 for the cooking and possible heating (tends to go cold when the sun goes down) and then 2300 to 0100 to either heat the bedroom up or cool it down depending on the season. 

We pay 8 cents per Kw in those hours and 19 cents per Kw outside them.